Of Science and Magic
by kerere
Summary: Hermione was tired of the war. She decided to travel to the past to fix the root of all problems and end the war, once and for all. And in order to do that, she needed a certain Tom Riddle. Not your usual time travel fic. Rating may go up later.
1. Hermione's Plan

Chapter 1 - Hermione's Plan

1997

It had been several weeks since Harry, Ron, and Hermione lived on the run, but so far they had accomplished nothing. Meanwhile Voldemort kept gaining influence, and the situation was getting more and more desperate by the day. The war was finally taking its toll on the golden trio.

That night was Hermione's turn to keep watch. She was sitting at the edge of their camp, looking outside, Slytherin's locket on her neck. The locket kept whispering "mudblood"and tried to poison her mind with the notion of muggleborns being worthless filth, but she had learned to ignore it. Instead she was contemplating their current predicament.

Hermione was fed up by the war. She had always been a logical person, and to her the war was completely stupid. Voldemort preached about blood purity and all, but he himself was a half-blood. What a hypocrite. Moreover, after six years of studying at Hogwarts, she came into conclusion that blood did not have any effect whatsoever on one's magical ability. Look at Crabbe and Goyle. They are purebloods, and yet they cannot even perform basic spells correctly. It's a miracle that they even passed OWLs. And then, there was her. The brightest witch of her age. And she was a muggleborn. A living proof that blood does not matter.

But Hermione knew that the war was not just about magical blood. The real reason was much deeper than that. Hermione thought about the relationship between the muggle and magical world through the centuries. She thought of the witch hunting during the medieval era, and how thousands of innocent witches and wizards were tortured and burned at stakes. She also thought of dark wizards and witches who killed countless muggles. Like Morgana, or Grindewald, and now Voldemort. Both sides have been the villain and the victim. Having been living in both magical and muggle world, Hermione was disappointed at how little the magical community knew of muggles and vice versa. The muggle studies taught at Hogwarts is rubbish and severely outdated. And Hermione didn't even know the magical world existed until Dumbledore came to her house and explained that she was a witch. Hermione bet that at least half the students at Hogwarts don't know that muggles had gone to outer space or that they were capable of making bombs that could obliterate a whole city. On the other hand, wizards have since long managed feats that are considered impossible by current technology, like teleportation (Apparition), total DNA and atom mutation (transfiguration) and time travel. She bet scientists would be willing to give up their arms and legs just to understand how one can turn a matchbox into a mouse. It must be fun to analyze apparition from physics point of view, or to invent a magical counterpart of internet. Why can't science work with magic? In ancient times people didn't separate science from magic. In those times both were simply known as knowledge, or wisdom.

That's it! All these happen because people are divided into wizards and muggles. And instead of cooperating, both wizards and muggles are cooped up in their own world and ignore each other. Fear of the unknown and fear of something "different", those are the roots of prejudice and discrimination. The truth is, the only thing that separates wizards from muggles is magical ability. Otherwise muggles and wizards are both humans, homo sapiens. To divide people based on whether they have magical ability or not is just as ridiculous as to divide people based on race or skin color. In a sense, it is like apartheid. One cannot help being born magical just like one cannot help being born black or white. Why can't anyone see this?

Suddenly things became clear to Hermione. It's true that at this moment their highest priority is to destroy the horcruxes and defeat Voldemort. But then what? Even if they manage to defeat Voldemort, if the very foundation of society is not changed, the history will repeat itself. Someone will come up with some stupid propaganda, and there will be another genocide. This needs to stop. Being the Gryffindor that she is Hermione felt that it is her duty to take action. However, she knew that she can't do it alone. She needed a strong partner. One who knows both magical and muggle world, one who values knowledge as much as she does, and one who has the power to change the world. She thought of Harry, but the poor boy had already taken more responsibility than he could handle on this battle against Voldemort. She didn't want to add more burden to her dear friend. Ron was out of question, and so were her other Hogwarts friends. Not even the adult members of the Order seemed suitable for the task. Maybe Dumbledore could help, but if what Rita Skeeter had written were true, the subject would open an old, deep psychological wound on her favorite Headmaster. Hermione was getting frustrated and was considering giving up her plan altogether when a name came up to her mind.

Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Hermione cringed. Voldemort would be the very last person on earth she could ever hope to help her with the task. For one, he was the cause of why the war happened in the first place. So, definitely not Voldemort. But what about Tom Riddle before he became the Dark Lord? Hermione thought of what Harry had told her about him after seeing Dumbledore's pensieves. Tom Riddle was brought up in a muggle orphanage, so regardless of his hatred for muggles, he must have known quite a great deal about them. He was also a very bright wizard, and had a thirst for knowledge. And he was, no doubt, powerful. He had the power and the charm to make people follow him. _Yes_, Hermione thought. _He would be the best candidate for the task_.

But of course there is a major drawback. Although Tom Riddle might not have been fully evil at that time, he had already had the makings of a dark wizard. Even when he was a student at Hogwarts he had already used dark arts and killed some people including his father and grandparents. He also killed Moaning Myrtle and framed Hagrid for his crime. He was dangerous and trying to mess with him would mean certain death. Hermione did not believe in absolute good or evil, but she knew for sure that Tom Riddle would not abandon the darkness for light. Hermione doubted that trying to steer him off the darkness by being nice and giving him love would work with him. The only way to get the upper hand is to outwit him, to out-power him. She could make use of his thirst for knowledge and power. She needs to convince him that muggles and their knowledge can be _very useful_, and that he could _still_ conquer the world, albeit in a totally different way. Hermione thought she was going crazy. The idea of Tom Riddle working with a muggleborn to unite wizards and muggles is preposterous. It is downright suicidal. But if she succeeds in changing Tom Riddle, she may have the chance to change the world, and end the conflict between wizards and muggles once and for all. The risk seems to be worth it.

Hermione reached for her bean bag, and took out a metal contraption. The time-turner. Hermione had used it on her third year to keep up with her classes and later on to save Sirius Black. It got broken during the battle in the ministry of magic a year ago, but thinking that she might need it again one day, she kept it with her and tried to fix it whenever she got the time. After struggling for almost one year, she finally got it fixed. If she wanted to change Tom Riddle, she would have to go back before he got into Hogwarts - no, before he even knew he was a wizard. Once he got into Hogwarts and found out about his true heritage it would be too late to try to change his views. But she was eighteen already. She could not go to Hogwarts with him. She would have to find another way then.

Hermione turned to look at her two sleeping friends. If she followed through on her plan, she would never meet them again. There is a very big probability that she would fail and die, and even if she does manage to succeed, she would have altered the time so much that she might not meet her friends . They might not exist. Worse, she herself might not exist. It would be a one-way ticket. Thinking that she would lose her whole world made her incredibly sad, but at the same time the sacrifice would be needed in order to change the world for the better. With that she made up her mind. She would do it.

Hermione took a piece of paper from her book and began writing a letter to Harry and Ron. She could not bring herself to face them and say goodbye. When they saw the letter she would have been gone. Forever. She tried to hold back the tears that had started forming on her eyes. She had to be strong. For her friends. For everyone. After she finished writing her letter and left them along with the Slytherin locket on the table, she turned the dial of her time-turner to 1938. As she felt the magic starting to work, she took one last glance to her sleeping friends. She could not hold back her tears anymore. She felt really bad for leaving Harry and Ron to face Voldemort by themselves, but this was for the best. She hoped that they would understand.

With a flash of blinding light, Hermione Jane Granger was gone.

1938

Hermione landed on the ground with a thud. She was still in the Forest of Dean. Looking at her surrounding it was hard to tell whether she had managed to go back into the past. However, Hermione noticed that instead of midnight, it was early evening. And it was considerably warmer than the chilling November wind. Hermione took her wand and casted "Tempus"

The date "July 5th, 1938" was floating in the air in front of her. She made it. She went back in time. Now that she reached her destination she could not just loiter around. She needed help. And who else is better at giving help than Albus Dumbledore. He knew that it would be a very sensitive topic for Dumbledore, but she knew that she could confide about her knowledge of the future to only to him. In this time Dumbledore was the Transfiguration professor so there was a good chance that she could meet him at Hogwarts. But Hogwarts had always had Anti-Apparition wards so she had to go to Hogsmeade and enter the castle through the secret tunnel under Honeydukes. Without further delay she Apparated to Hogsmeade.

She appeared in front of The Hog's Head with a loud crack. The inn still looked as dingy as it was in her time, the windows encrusted with so much filth that it was impossible to peek inside. Hogsmeade in 1938 didn't look that different from the Hogsmeade that she knew. She could see Madam Puddifoot's tea shop from afar as she walked towards Honeydukes. The tacky and frilly decoration reminded her of Umbridge's office. She shuddered at the unpleasant memory. She walked past Zonko's. In her time, the shop had been closed down and boarded up for some time due to the war. She remembered Fred and George saying that they were considering buying the premise and turn it into a Weasley's Wizard Wheezes outlet. Hermione let a small smile formed on her lips. Even at the darkest times the twins still manages to lift the spirits of everyone around them. She hoped they would be fine. She noticed that the Shrieking Shack was not there. Of course, the shack was built to help Remus in his transformation during dull moon. It would not be built until some twenty years from now. If it would be built at all, now that Hermione had come to change the timeline.

Hermione entered Honeydukes and went to the basement, opening the secret passageway to Hogwarts. She tapped the statue of the humpbacked witch with her wand and said "Dissendio". The statue gave her way and after walking some more she emerged in an abandoned classroom in Hogwarts. She opened the classroom door slowly and looked around cautiously in case there were some students. But Hermione realized that it was summer vacation and all the students would have gone back home already. Feeling relieved that she did not have to sneak around and be worried about getting caught, she walked towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts tower, where the Transfiguration Professor office would be. Bracing herself, she knocked the door.

"Come in," a very familiar voice replied.

Hermione felt her heart skip a bit before she slowly opened the door and entered the the room. In front of her stood a very _alive, _younger version of Albus Dumbledore. He was wearing his purple robe, and his hair and beard was considerably shorter. But his trademark twinkling eyes were there, giving Hermione a sense of comfort. She had missed Dumbledore. A lot.

"Sit down please, Miss~"

"Hermione Granger, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione could not help but feeling excited to meet her Headmaster again. She took a seat across Dumbledore and look around. Just like the Headmaster's Room in her time, Dumbledore's office was full of tomes and magical trinkets.

"Fancy some lemon drops, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore said, extending his hand to offer some of his favorite sweets.

Hermione was startled by Dumbledore's offer. "Oh, eh. Yes... thank you, Professor". She took one and put it on her mouth. It felt so nostalgic. She thought of the countless times she, Harry and Ron went to Dumbledore to ask for his guidance and advice.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and Hermione's focus returned to the younger version of Dumbledore in front of her. "I believe that it is summer vacation, and I have not seen you at the school. To what occasion do I have you here, Miss Granger?"

That's right. The Dumbledore in front of her did not know her. Hermione shifted her eyes down, considering what, and how to tell Dumbledore her current condition and her crazy plan. But she had made her decision to come here. She trusted the Dumbledore of her time and she will trust the current Dumbledore too. Hermione lifted her head and looked at Dumbledore.

"Actually, I need your help," she paused, "I had come for the future".

Dumbledore stared at her closely for a brief moment, probably checking whether she was lying. It scared Hermione a bit, but soon after the scrutinizing stare was replaced by the familiar twinkle.

"I see," replied Dumbledore. "Care to elaborate?"

Hermione took a deep breath before she continued. "I came from year 1997. I was a student here. I finished my sixth year, but because of the war Hogwarts was not safe anymore and I could not continue to my seventh year."

Dumbledore looked surprised. Hogwarts was known to be one of the safest place in Britain. But he didn't reply anything, so Hermione took it as a cue to continue.

"There is this dark wizard... He calls himself Lord Voldemort. Seventeen years ago he was almost defeated but he managed to regain his power and now he has taken control of Hogwarts and the ministry. He has a large number of followers called Death Eaters and in these past few months they have killed a lot of muggles and muggleborns. Prior to my coming here my friends and I have been living on the run trying to defeat him but so far there has been no result and the situation was getting more and more desperate. We were running out of time. I figured out that the only way to end the war is to prevent it from happening in the first place, and to make sure that there will not be another war like this in the future. That is why I came here."

"Hmmm... Did my counterpart in the future send you here?"

Hermione swallowed a big gulp. But she needed to tell the truth. "Actually, no... You, you died.. earlier this year. By the Killing Curse."

If Dumbledore was surprised, he was masking it really well. But he knew that the girl in front of him was telling him the truth, and he motioned her to continue.

"I... I knew who Lord Voldemort is. I believe that if I can change him and prevent him from becoming the Dark Lord, I will be able to change the future"

"And how are you going to do that?"

Hermione told Dumbledore about her plan. He listened to her attentively and nodded in agreement when she talked about about wizards and muggles being equal and that they should cooperate rather than stay in ignorance and fear of each other. However, he did not seem very convinced about her plan.

"Miss Granger, do you understand what you are planning to do?"

Dumbledore sighed. "You are planning to rewrite the whole timeline. Do you understand the implication of your action? The future, the world that you know, will cease to exist. You will not be able to go back."

"I know, Professor" Hermione looked down, thinking about her friends and family that she had left behind, the people that she could never see again. But she came here knowing that there would be no way back, and she would rather part with the people she loved than watch them suffer and die under Voldemort and the Death Eaters. As long as there is hatred, history will repeat itself. Finding some confidence, she looked at Dumbledore at the eye. "But I want to end the conflict between wizards and muggles, once and for all"

Dumbledore looked at the young witch in front of her. Her eyes were shining with unwavering determination. He knew that nothing he do would be able to convince her otherwise. The plan that she proposed was indeed a very bold one. And very dangerous.

"I need to see the future that you spoke about,"

Hermione understood what he meant and nodded. Dumbledore performed Legilimency on Hermione and see through her memories. Hermione did not give any resistance at all, trusting the old wizard with everything she knew about her future. From her memories he could see that Hermione Granger was an exceptionally bright witch. She had a loving and compassionate heart, and the bravery and loyalty to protect those who are important to her. Dumbledore thought of his past; his failure to protect his family, and his failure to save Gelert Grindewald from the path of destruction. But maybe, if it were her, there is a hope that it would work. After a moment of pregnant silence which seemed like eternity, Dumbledore finally nodded.

"Well then, Miss Granger. I will do whatever I can to help you."


	2. Wool's Orphanage

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and its characters.

* * *

"It is as you said, Miss Granger," said Dumbledore, looking at the list of children who were to get letter of acceptance to Hogwarts that year. "Tom Marvolo Riddle is going to join us this year."

Dumbledore then proceeded to look at Tom's individual file. "Hoo, interesting. His witch mother died after giving birth, resulting in his growing up in a muggle orphanage," he read on. "Wool's orphanage, London."

"Yes, I believe that is the one," replied Hermione. "And later this month you will go there and inform him about his being a wizard."

"I suppose you are right," Dumbledore's eyes lingered for a little bit longer at the file in front of him. "So, what do you think we should do?"

"According to what Harry saw in your memory, even before you went there Tom Riddle was already aware and able to control his power. It seems he had no friend and the other children feared him. Since there is still some time, I want to see with my own eyes whether it's true before planning my next move," Hermione explained.

Dumbledore nodded. "I see. So you want to live at the orphanage and observe him before I go to meet him."

"That is right, but…I will be 18 in a few months. I don't think they will accept me as a resident now," said Hermione.

"You don't need to worry," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling. "I believe I just have the solution for that."

Dumbledore rummaged through his messy cupboard, and came back with a vial of bluish liquid on a vial.

"This is a variant of Polyjuice Potion, which I'm sure you know of," said Dumbledore while putting the vial on his table. Hermione nodded. "However, unlike Polyjuice Potion, with this potion you cannot turn into someone else. Instead, you will turn into a younger or older version of yourself."

Hermione got what Dumbledore was up to. "So, I can make myself look like an eleven years old and go to Hogwarts with Tom Riddle!" Hermione said excitedly.

"Precisely. Now, in order for it to work I will need some of your hair strands. Do you mind giving me some?"

"No, of course not," Hermione could not contain her excitement. With this potion she could now stay in the orphanage go to Hogwarts with Tom Riddle! She took a few strands of her curly hair and gave them to Dumbledore. "There you are, Professor."

Dumbledore put Hermione's hair into the potion and it melted upon contact with the liquid, creating bubbles. After some time the bubbles died down and the potion turned purple. Dumbledore handed the potion to Hermione.

"The potion is ready. When you drink it, you need to visualize the appearance that you want to take. Since you want to change back into a girl, you can draw it from your memory," he instructed Hermione.

Hermione nodded. She drank the potion in one gulp and closed her eyes, visualizing her eleven year old self. She was quite short, with frizzy brown hair and big teeth. As she did that, she felt her body began to change. Her body shrunk a few centimeters, her limbs became shorter, her curves disappeared. After she felt her transformation had finished, she opened her eyes.

Her clothes had become too big for her small body, her sweater was falling off her shoulders and she grabbed her jeans just before it slid down her waist. She charmed her clothes to fit her new body, smaller. While she was taking care of her clothes, Dumbledore had taken a small mirror. He handed the mirror to Hermione, who looked at it to see her eleven year old self staring back at her. The potion was truly amazing!

Dumbledore cleared his throat and her attention was now back to the Professor. "Now that we have taken care of your appearance, we need a cover story for you to be able to join the orphanage. Would you want a new identity, Miss Granger?"

Hermione shook her head. "No… Other than a few belongings that I managed to bring here I have nothing to remind me of my original world but my name. If possible, I want to stay myself."

"Very well," replied Dumbledore. "I will just prepare a few documents and we're all set."

* * *

A few hours later Hermione and Dumbledore appeared in front of Wool's Orphanage, his hand holding Hermione's much smaller one. Dumbledore had made her a fake birth certificate which stated that Hermione Jean Granger, daughter of Richard and Jean Granger, was born on September 19th, 1926. Her mother died when Hermione was 5 due to small pox. She lived with her father in London after a short circuit caused a fire in her house which killed him as well as destroyed her house. The Grangers had no known living relative, and as a result, the social department decided that Hermione Granger was to be put on an orphanage. And the "social worker" who was accompanying her to Wool's Orphanage was none other than Albus Dumbledore on disguise.

Hermione looked at the building in front of her. It was an old building and quite run-down, but it was not dirty. The high railings made the place look unfriendly, and there was an air of unpleasantness around the place. So, this is where she would stay, probably for a couple of years.

"Shall we go in?" Dumbledore tugged on her hand, and Hermione followed him inside.

* * *

Hermione and Dumbledore sat down on a sofa at the caretaker office. A middle age woman, who introduced herself as Mrs. Cole, was going through Hermione's documents.

"A fire, hmmm," she said as she read the document. "It is very unfortunate. But at least you were unharmed." She eyed Hermione.

Hermione looked at Mrs Cole. She was quite skinny with a sharp-featured face. She looked uptight and strict, and emitted a "don't mess with me" aura. Hermione was not one who breaks rules, but it all changed after she became friends with Harry Potter. She hoped she wouldn't cause too much trouble during her stay; she definitely didn't want to make enemy of Mrs. Cole.

Someone knocked the door. "Come in," said Mrs. Cole.

A girl around her age entered the office. She was skinny and she kept playing with her skirt, obviously nervous for some reason. "Yes, Mrs. Cole?"

"We have a new friend joining us today. Ms. Granger, this is Amy Benson," said Mrs. Cole. "And Ms. Benson, this is Hermione Granger."

"Hi," Hermione tried to sound friendly. The girl called Amy Benson gave her a failed attempt of a smile. Hermione stood up from where she sat and approached her. Amy fidgeted.

"Now, Ms. Benson," said Mrs. Cole. "Seeing both of you are around the same age, why don't you give Ms. Granger a tour of this place while I finish the paperwork, hmm?"

Amy nodded nervously, and turned to walk to the door. Hermione followed her.

The two girls were walking on the corridor silently, Hermione tailed behind Amy. She could feel the stares of other children; some excited, some nervous. She dismissed it. Maybe they don't get newcomers often, she thought.

They reached a rather large hall at the end of the corridor. "This is the dining hall," Amy Benson told her, her voice barely audible. "We have our meals here."

Hermione took a look inside. There were rows of long dining tables and chairs. On one side there was a large kitchen, partly visible from the half-divide. It looked a bit like school cafeteria, except that it did not look lively at all.

Amy pointed at a double big door that seemed to lead outside. "That is the garden. It is night now so the door is locked. Tomorrow you can go." She then walked back to where they came from, and Hermione followed.

They took the stairs to the first floor and took a right turn. Amy walked to the room with the opened door. "This is the library."

Hermione looked inside. The room was too small to be called a library - a reading room would be more suitable - but at least there was a place to read books there.

The rest of the corridor was dotted with doors left and right. Judging from the space between doors, the rooms seemed to be quite tiny. "Our rooms are in first and second floor." Hermione followed Amy absentmindedly. Her mind was somewhere else. Tom Riddle is here, somewhere in this orphanage. The thought gave her the chill.

Hermione and Amy was halfway on the stairs to the second floor when Amy suddenly froze and trembled uncontrollably. Hermione was about to ask what happened when she saw a figure on the edge of the stairs. Hermione looked up and saw a boy her age looking down at the two of them. He had a short-tidy hair that was parted sideways. His eyes were grey and cold, and he looked like he had a permanent scowl on his face. That was when Hermione realized that she was face-to-face with an eleven year old Tom Riddle.

She saw Amy Benson visibly shaking beside her, and decided that she could meet Tom later, now that she saw that he indeed lived here. Taking Amy's hand with her, she said. "Let's go back to Mrs. Cole's office, maybe they're finished by now." But before she left, she gave Tom a last glance. This is the boy who would be Lord Voldemort. She could feel Tom's eyes following their retreating figures, and it gave her chills.

* * *

True to Hermione's words, by the time the two of them reached the caretaker office again, Mrs. Benson and Dumbledore had finished with her paperwork, and were waiting for her. Amy excused herself while Hermione went to sit down beside Dumbledore.

"So," said Mrs. Cole. "How do you find the place?"

"Good," Hermione lied. But at least it was better than what Harry must have gone through. The mere thought of it made her realize how strong Harry was, being able to endure that kind of living condition for years.

"Good then. You are lucky that one of our residents, Ms. Mary-Ann Lewis just moved out last month, so we had a vacant room." Mrs. Cole took a key from the key cabinet and gave it to Hermione. "Now that everything is settled, you can say goodbye to Mr. Smith."

Hermione walked towards 'Mr. Smith', who was actually Dumbledore in disguise. He stood up and motioned her to come closer. Hermione came closer, and Dumbledore gave her a big hug. "Please take care of yourself," he said. His words had a deeper meaning, and she understood what the professor truly meant.

Hermione nodded. "I will." With that, he let go of her, and said to Mr. Cole, "Well then, I guess it's my time to leave, seeing that it's already very late."

Hermione and Mrs. Cole followed Dumbledore to the entrance, and before he left, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Be a good girl, Hermione."

Hermione replied with a mile of her own. "I will. Thank you for your help!"

With that, Dumbledore left and Hermione followed Mrs. Cole back to the caretaker office.

* * *

"This is your room key. Your room is number 26, on the second floor. I will accompany you to your room."

Mrs. Cole walked towards the door and Hermione took that as a cue to take her bag and followed her. They took the same stairs where Tom was staring at her before, but he wasn't there anymore. Maybe he had gone back to his room. They stopped in front of a door with a number plate which said "26". Mrs. Cole told her to open the door with the key that she gave her. Hermione unlocked the door and opened it.

The room was small and bare. The only furnitures were a single-size bed covered in white sheets, a small desk and chair, and a cupboard. The room had a bland, grey curtain, and it was too dark to see outside. So this is where she was going to live. Hermione placed her bag on top of the table, and turned to face Mrs. Cole who was standing at the door.

"It is late, and you must be tired. But before you take a rest, I will explain you the rules here. You will be served meals three times a day; breakfast at 8am, lunch at noon, and dinner at 6pm. Curfew is at 9pm, after which you are not allowed to roam outside your room. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Hermione.

"Good. One more thing, today is an exception since you just came, but I will not allow that kind of outfit on a girl," said Mrs. Cole, her eyes glaring at the sweater and jeans that Hermione was wearing. "Girls should look like girls. I hope you brought some skirts with you, otherwise you will have to wear our uniform."

Hermione was not very fond of wearing skirts, but this was the 30s, and it was the norm for girls to wear skirt. Hermione thought of the grey skirt that Amy was wearing, and she was so not going to wear that hideous skirt. She would just charm her old outfits later. "Don't worry, Ma'am, I do have my skirts with me."

"Good," said Mrs. Cole. She was about to leave when she looked like she suddenly remember something important. "One last thing. The room beside you.. it is occupied by a boy named Tom Riddle." She seemed to have difficulties in finding the right words. "It would be wise if you don't get too close to him."

Hermione could feel the warning underlying her words. So Mrs. Cole was also wary of Tom. "Understood," she nodded.

"Well then, it is late already. Good night, Miss Granger." With that, Mrs. Cole closed the door and left.

Hermione removed her shoes and sat down on her bed. It was not comfortable, but she had spent weeks living on a tent before, so she was used to it. Suddenly she felt very tired. She realized that she hadn't had sleep for more than 24 hours, and the time travel must have taken a toll on her body. She lied down on her bed, and glanced at the wall. Tom Riddle is there, just beyond the wall, she thought, but she would start her observation tomorrow. Too much had happened to her in one day and she couldn't handle more. She was just too tired. She closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Finally Tom makes an appearance. There will be more interactions between the two of them in the next chapter.


	3. Hermione's Book

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters

* * *

Hermione woke up with a start upon hearing a bell ringing. It was morning already. She didn't even remember falling asleep! She was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday and her hair was a horrible mess. From beyond her door children were chattering and she could make out the word "breakfast". She jumped out of her bed, remembering Mrs. Cole's words about breakfast being served at 8am. She had to hurry else she would be late for breakfast.

As expected, breakfast had already started by the time Hermione reached the dining hall. She saw Mrs. Cole standing on the doorway, already looking immaculate.

"Good morning Ms. Granger, what did I say to you about outfit?" Mrs. Cole eyed Hermione's appearance with distaste.

"I'm sorry. I overslept," said Hermione, giving her a sorry look. "I will change my clothes after breakfast."

"A lady has to always look presentable. I will let you go this time, but next time I will see you wear appropriate clothes. And, we don't encourage tardiness here."

"I won't do it again, Mrs. Cole," Hermione replied. When Hermione entered the dining hall, she could feel the other children stared at her, but she ignored them. She picked up a tray and lined up behind some other children. When it was her turn, a middle aged man gave her a piece of bread and some brownish goo. She waited for the man to give some more food.

"Move, girl, yer disturbing the line!" the man yelled at Hermione and she quickly moved away. She tried to look for an empty seat only to find out that the empty ones were on the opposite end of the hall, so she walked there with her tray.

She wasn't surprised when she saw a familiar face there. Tom Riddle was sitting alone on the far end of the hall, eating his breakfast silently. She knew that he was not the type who had a lot of friends. That, if he had any at all, she mentally added. Hermione herself wasn't a social butterfly either, but at least she had her friends. Seeing that Tom's table was the only empty one she felt pity towards the boy. He seemed to be alienated by everyone here. Even Mrs. Cole basically warned her to stay away from him. Apparently terrible things had happened to some of the children. However, she wanted to observe him, so she decided to approach him.  
"Good morning," she greeted him. "Can I sit here?"

There was no reply. She took that as a yes and took the seat across him. Tom mostly ignored her presence, his eyes fixed on his 'meal'. Hermione, on the other hand, was eyeing him closely, trying to figure out the boy in front of her. She considered starting a conversation, but she remembered Lavender Brown speaking nonstop to her about all sorts of things on their first day at Hogwarts and she didn't like it. She supposed Tom wouldn't like it either if a stranger were to suddenly talk to him like they were buddies. The two of them ate their breakfast in silence, but Hermione could feel him casting a glance at her a few times. They finished their breakfast fortunately it didn't taste as bad as it looked, and Hermione went back to her room.

* * *

To avoid further problem with Mrs. Cole, Hermione had charmed her sweater to become a simple pastel blue knee-length dress. She zipped up her dress and looked at herself on the mirror. The dress was not bad but she felt a bit awkward. Hermione wasn't a tomboy, but she always preferred pants for practical reasons. However, apparently skirt was the norm in this time and she just had to get used to it.

Hermione contemplated her next move. Today's breakfast ended without her being able to even exchange a word with Tom Riddle. She would have to up her game if she wanted to get close to him. There were approximately 2 weeks before Dumbledore would come again to inform Tom about his magic. She wanted to dig up some information before that.

Hermione browsed her bag. Other than the essentials, she had packed some books, both muggle and magic. Some of them were not published yet at this time so would have to be careful if she wanted to read them. Then she found a book that she could use: Of Mice and Men. However, hers was a newer edition so she would have to alter it a bit. She took a box of white stickers from her bag. Before Hermione, Harry and Ron left the Weasley twins had given them some of their prototype products. The white sticker - Texture Surprise - was one of them. The sticker was such that if she were to stick it to a surface she would be able to change its appearance, like a visual illusion of some sort. However, if any physical contact were made the deception would become obvious, so it would be better to only stick it to a flat surface. Like a book, for example. She covered the book cover and the publishing info with the Texture Surface and charmed them so that they looked like the first, 1937 edition of the book. Hermione smiled as she looked at her work. _This should be good enough_, she thought.

From what Harry had told her, Tom Riddle seemed to enjoy stealing from other children and keep the stolen items as trophies. She would have him steal the book from her and read it.

* * *

It was an unusually sunny day so a lot of children were playing outside. Hermione wasn't an outdoor type, but she enjoyed basking in the sunlight while reading her favourite books from time to time. So here she was, sitting under a tree reading Of Mice and Men.  
After some time, she felt another presence near her. She didn't need to look up to know who it was. And her hunch was right, standing nearby was Tom Riddle, his hand clutching a book. It appeared that she had taken his reading spot, but she would feign ignorance and see how he would react. So, she kept reading her book, ignoring his presence.

Hermione could see Tom's annoyance from the corner of her eyes. Would he tell her to move? No, knowing him, he would try to use his magic on her.

All of a sudden several caterpillars and spiders fell down from the tree. However, Hermione had anticipated that. The Dumbledore Army training and numerous duels she had survived made her an expert of wandless and non-verbal magic. She casted a wandless 'Avis' and birds flew down from the same tree, preying on the creatures. She put down her book and pretended to look surprised at what just happened, saying "Eww" in disgust. She saw Tom looking at her in shock; perhaps his magic had never failed him before. _Well, there had got to be a first_, she thought. She stretched her body which had gotten stiff from sitting on the same position for a long time, and looked at the boy in front of her; he looked quite livid.

"That is my spot," he finally said.

Hermione shrugged. "There is enough space for both of us."

Tom glared at her and lashed out his powerful aura, obviously trying to intimidate her. But, Lord Voldemort or not, he was just an eleven year old boy, and Hermione was not scared of him at all. He might be an incredibly powerful wizard even at his age, but she had more experience and better control of her magic and thus had the upper hand. After a few minutes of staring battle of which neither was willing to yield, Tom finally let out a sigh and sat down under the tree a few feet away from her. She smiled in triumph.  
They were reading in silent for some time until she caught Tom looking at the title of the book she was reading. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I've never seen that book in the library before," he said.

"Oh this?" she held out the book. "This is mine. It's one of the things that survived the fire that killed my dad." Surprisingly the lie came out quite smoothly. She pretended to look sad. "My dad gave this to me as christmas present last year. It is very important to me." She stressed the word important. Well, it wasn't a complete lie either; her parents did give the book to her as christmas present a few years prior among other things, and it's one of the few things she managed to bring to this time period.

"I see," he replied. Hermione saw him looking at the book with interest. It looked like he had found his latest conquest.

It was almost noon and sitting outside was becoming uncomfortable. She stretched her body once again and stood up. "Well then," she said. "I'll see you at lunchtime."

* * *

Hermione went to the dining hall for lunch but Tom was not there yet. She put her book on the table where she sat for breakfast this morning and went to get a tray and line up for food. The nasty man was there again to serve the food but now she knew not to expect much. This time, it was mashed potato and some fried stuffs. At least it was edible.

When she came back to her seat she found that her book was already gone. Tom took a seat across from her not long after that. She furrowed her brows. "Did you see my book? I put it here before."

Tom shrugged. "I don't know. I just came here myself."

She had to admit that he was a good liar. No wonder he could fool almost all of Hogwart's population.

"What should I do? Should I tell Mrs. Cole?" she tried to sound panicked.

"No use. Once it's gone it won't come back. You have to be careful, you know. There are bullies here," he said.

_Smooth, Tom, very smooth_, she thought. She knew that the 'bully' was sitting right in front of her. Tom might be smart and cunning, but he was still an eleven years old; she could see his tricks.

"I see," she said, looking defeated. She started eating her lunch in silent.

Now that her book is in his hand, it was only time until he read the book. She couldn't wait to see his reaction.

* * *

I had wanted to write until Tom read the book, but it became too long so I ended it here. Those who had read "Of Mice and Men" might get why I chose this particular story. It has got something to do with friendship and Tom's view of it. You'll see his reaction on the next chapter.

Texture Surprise (bikkuri seal) is actually the ability of Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter.

Reviews are most welcome!


	4. Mice and Men

A few days had passed since Hermione's book disappeared, but so far there had been no reaction from Tom at all. However, after that day she would sit across him during meal time and they would have their meal together in silence. They also met on a few occasions in the library - reading room - where Hermione had been visiting quite frequently to kill time.

Dinner time on that day was a bit different as Mrs. Cole could be seen standing in the middle of the dining hall carrying a microphone. Hermione noticed that the children look more excited than usual, as if they were anticipating something. Mrs. Cole tested the microphone a few times before speaking.

"Good evening, my children," her voice booming through the hall. "Tomorrow is our annual outing day." The children cheered loudly.  
"Last year we went to the beach," for a moment Mrs. Cole's gaze seemed to be directed to Tom. "So this year we're going to a different destination." The children were whispering to each other in anticipation. "This year we're going to the zoo." Loud cheers erupted in the hall. Even Tom looked more excited than usual. _That's right_, Hermione thought. There will be snakes at the zoo; he can speak with them. Mrs. Cole shush-ed and the hall became quiet once more.

"We will depart after breakfast tomorrow, so do come down here with your bags ready on breakfast time. And wear your best clothes. I will not tolerate lousy attire. Is that understood?" said Mrs. Cole "Yes, Ma'am!" Hermione was looking forward to the trip. After a few days the orphanage became really boring. She missed the outside world. The orphanage rules stated that children below 15 years of age should be accompanied by older children when going out, and Hermione didn't know any of the other children. From her observation during these past few days, she found out that the children in Wool's Orphanage had established groups already and they were quite close-knitted, so it would be difficult for newcomers like Hermione to join in. Not that she felt inclined to, anyway. And so, except for Amy Benson and a few other children she met in passing, in this place Tom Riddle was the closest she had as an acquaintance. She smiled bitterly at the irony.

* * *

Hermione had been to the London Zoo a couple of times before with her family, but she wasn't expecting this. The zoo that she knew was a place to learn about animals and their ecosystem but this, this was more like a place of entertainment! What she saw both intrigued and horrified her.

Visitors could ride on the elephants' back and it was one of the more popular attractions. She saw some kids from the orphanage joined the long line to ride the elephants. That was still okay. Apparently, feeding the zoo animals wasn't yet banned in this time, so visitors just casually threw buns ver the low fence and the animals would catch them and eat them happily. Among them, the bears were clearly the most popular as they received more buns than the other animals. Bears are known to have sweet tooth and thus the sweet treats were received with joy. Hermione saw them as they happily caught the gifts in their mouths. But the most bizarre one was the Chimpanzees' Tea Party.

It was just as bad as the name suggested. Visitors would pay for the attraction. A table would then be laid out for a formal tea. Then, the zookeepers would lead the chimpanzees dressed in formal clothes. The chimpanzees would politely perch on their seats, pour out drinks from a teapots, then eat and drink the treats that had been laid out for them. The zookeepers would scold them for any bad manners, but the tea party would inevitable descend into chaos as the chimpanzees threw and spat drinks and food and ran around. People loved it. Hermione was thoroughly appalled by what she saw. It was just wrong on so many levels. She left and went to the reptile house instead.

* * *

Hermione wasn't surprised when she found Tom there, standing in front of a glass cage containing some rattlesnakes. She could hear some hissing-like sound coming out from Tom's mouth. _Parseltongue_.

She looked at him closely. He always wore the same black pants and nicely tucked in white shirt: Wool's Orphanage uniform. The clothes looked a tad too big for his thin frame. Then it hit her. Tom Riddle had been living in that orphanage his whole live, so he didn't have other clothes besides the uniform. Somehow it reminded her of Harry's childhood in his uncle's house. However, Harry grew up to be a kind-hearted boy, while Tom chose to go down the path of darkness.

The children in Wool's Orphanage were allowed to keep personal belongings, but Tom didn't have personal belongings to begin with, except for the ones given by the orphanage. Maybe that is why he stole from the other kids; maybe he was jealous of them, Hermione thought. She felt like she understood the boy a little. It looked like he didn't notice she was there so she decided to make her presence known.

"So you were here," she said.

He turned to look at her, but turned his face to the glass cage again.

"I thought you would be watching the Chimps' Tea Party," she said, attempting conversation.

"It's stupid," he replied.

"I know," she chimed in. "The cage is too small for them isn't it?" she said, looking at the rattlesnakes curling in the corner near the glass. He must have been talking to them.

"Yes."

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Hermione, by the way."

"I know."

"Oh," Hermione pretended to look surprised. Of course he would know. Her name was written clearly on her book, which should be in his possession right now.

"And you're Tom," she gave him a small smile as she saw his eyes widened a little. "I know."

"Then you should know better to stay away from me," there was a hint of anger and bitterness in his voice.

"I don't have any reason to do so," she just shrugged nonchalantly. Then she pointed at the building exit and said, "Well, I want to explore other places so I'll see you again soon."

She felt a pair of grey eyes following her as she exited the reptile house.

* * *

"Your book. I found it."

The next day Hermione was reading a book at the reading room - she refused to call it a library - when she heard a familiar voice. She looked up to see Tom standing in front of her, her book on his hand. "Oh," she was genuinely surprised that he was actually returning the book to her. "Thank you so much! Where did you-"

"Don't ask," he cut her.

"Well, thank you anyway," she smiled at him. She knew the answer to that question already. From his looks, she could tell that he had finished reading the book.

"That George guy is a fool," he said. "He should've killed that idiot oaf Lennie way sooner."

Hermione pretended to look horrified. "Why? Lennie's his friend!"

"He's useless. He's incredibly stupid, and he has this weird thing for soft stuffs. He can't even do anything without George. I can't believe George lets that kind of guy around."

"Really? I don't think so," she said defiantly. "He needs Lennie as much as Lennie needs him."

"Are you stupid? Because of Lennie he gets into trouble with that farm owner and has to give up his dream! So what if Lennie's his friend? It's better to have no friend than having a useless friend like him," he said bitterly.

Did it remind him of his own experience? When she came to think of it, he had been living here all his life, so it's weird that he had no friend. Harry told her that Tom had hurt some of the children so they feared him, but maybe there was more to that. "Maybe But I think it's because of Lennie that he can make it that far."

Tom gave her a questioning look.

"It's true that George was the one who has the dream, but he can go far because Lennie truly believes in his dream. And his convictions makes Candy, Crooks, and even George himself start to believe that it might actually be possible."

"But he has to ruin it in the end," he snorted.

"It's not his fault. And George knows that, too."

"That's why I said he's a fool."

"No, he's not. George knew that Lennie has his disabilities, but he also needs him. That's why he decided to protect Lennie. It was a mutual relationship."

"Nonsense."

"You see, almost all characters in the story - George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife - admit, at one time or another, that they feel lonely and isolated. Curley's wife admits to Candy, Crooks, and Lennie that she is unhappily married, and Crooks tells Lennie that life is no good without a companion to turn to in times of confusion and need. All of them want a friend, a companion, but since some of them can't afford that, they try to make themselves feel less miserable by destroying the weak, like Lennie."

"Of course, the strong prey on the weak."

"But, that kind of power - the power to destroy the weak - is not something that is born out of strength. It is born out of weakness. The people who hurt those who are weaker than them are weak themselves. They just do it to hide their weakness."

It looked like Hermione's word hit Tom where it hurt the most. He gritted his teeth; his aura was swelling around him. Hermione braced herself for an attack. Surprisingly, he did nothing except glaring at her angrily, so she continued.

"But Lennie, with his innocence and strong belief in the vision of George's farm, brings hope to them. And they also start to believe in it. Even Crooks can't help but ask Lennie if he can have a patch of garden to hoe there. Even if they live in dire and cruel conditions, in the end, they want to live with one another's best interests in mind, to protect each other, and to know that there is someone in the world dedicated to protecting them. And Lennie is the one who makes them realize that. That is why, perhaps, in a way, Lennie is actually the strong one."

That seemed to got him thinking. She felt his dangerous aura diminished and lowered her guard.

"Anyway," he handed the book to her. "Here"

She stopped him midway. "No. You can keep it."

His eyes widened. "Isn't this book important to you?"

"It is. But you seem to like this book more than I do, so I think it's better if you have it," she smiled at him.

Her words rendered him speechless. It seemed like the concept of giving was foreign to him. _Maybe nobody had ever given him anything_, Hermione thought._  
_

Tom didn't move an inch from where he stood. He looked like he was struggling for words.

"Thank you," he mumbled the words as if unsure of himself.

Hermione gave him a genuine, big smile.

* * *

**Author's note:**

This chapter was quite difficult (and I had a minor writer's block) so it took me longer to write. I hope that part about "Of Mice and Men" towards the end doesn't feel too rushed.

Chimpanzees' Tea Party was actually a real attraction at London Zoo from 1930s to 1950s. It was just like what I described in the story, and apparently it was quite popular. And yes, at that time zoo was more like a place of entertainment than a place of education.

Thanks a lot to my reviewers:

classycarnage: Me too. I always want to know what's going on in Tom's mind. I don't think the romance part will develop until much later, but we'll get to it.

jfang465: I also hope there will be more :)

Maiwishes: Nah, it was just a cover story she will have to stick with during her time in the orphanage (and later Hogwarts, too). And she was supposed to be an 11 year old girl who just lost her father, so she just acted the part. Her parents are still living happily in Australia though (in her original time at least). Yes, I agree with you. She's idealistic and ambitious (and I think that's why she created SPEW even though a lot of people found it ridiculous) and I like that part of her too. Later on she will get some harsh reality check though :P She's not perfect after all.  
And yeah, I love little Tom too :D


	5. The Snake and The Bully

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor its characters

* * *

Be it in muggle world or wizarding world, everywhere there would be a bully character. In Hogwarts, there were Draco Malfoy with his Slytherin cronies Crabbe and Goyle. In Wool's Orphanage, there was Billy Stubbs.

Billy Stubbs was among the older kids in the orphanage. He had a large built and was quite tall for his age. He also had a menacing face and intimidating eyes. Like typical bullies, he liked to order the younger children around, sometimes extorting their already meagre pocket money. The other day a small and sickly boy by the name of Eric Whalley accidentally tripped and spilled his soup on Billy's Shirt, and the next day he could be seen walking with a limp. One did not need to be very bright to see what had happened to him.

Ever since Hermione arrived at Wool's Orphanage she had been avoiding Billy Stubbs as much as possible. She had had enough with Draco Malfoy and his cronies during her time and she didn't want to deal with another bully when she had a more important task at hand. But it looked like she had run out of luck.

There was a commotion in the courtyard and Hermione went there to see a lot of kids already forming a circle wall around Billy Stubbs. Unfortunately she had a petite frame so she could slipped past the other kids easily. What she saw made her eyes widen in horror.

Billy Stubbs was standing in the centre of the circle, his right hand grabbing a rather small garden snake on its tail; his left hand around its neck. The snake wriggled around, trying to get free from his hold but it was obvious that the boy was much stronger. Billy strengthened his grip around the snake's neck, strangling it. The snake hissed in pain.

Hermione looked around nervously, eyes searching for Tom. Fortunately he wasn't here… yet. Suddenly she remembered the story Harry told her of Tom Riddle: A boy named Billy Stubbs picked a fight with Tom, and the day after his rabbit was found hung from the rafters, dead. The Gryffindor inside Hermione told her to stop him to prevent Tom from killing the rabbit, but she couldn't use her magic here in front of the other children, and her physical strange was no match for Billy Stubbs.

"Stop it," Hermione turned her head to see Tom Riddle, his aura crackling dangerously. The other kids had already made way for him out of fear. She was too late.

"Well, well, if it isn't The Freak," said Billy arrogantly.

"Release the snake," It was a warning.

Billy smirked. "And what if I don't? You will use that freakish power of yours again?" He laughed. "You know what will happen if you use your power again, don't you? Go on, then."

Tom clenched his teeth. He was beyond livid, and it looked like he would lose control of his power very soon.

Hermione did the very first thing she could think of. She ran towards Billy Stubbs and slammed her body to him. It didn't hurt him at all, but it was enough to lose his grip on the snake in surprise. It fell to the ground and soon disappeared behind the bushes. Then she ran towards Tom to stop him from releasing his power. But she was too late. A surge of magical power hit her squarely on her chest before she could perform a blocking spell. Some children gasped and screamed as she was sent flying before crashing to the hard stone wall behind her. Then everything went black.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes to an unfamiliar view. She was in a quite large room painted in white. There were a few beds and it smelled like alcohol. She could see a few cupboards filled with medicine and bandages. _This must be the infirmary_, she thought. She tried to sit up but she suddenly felt dizzy. It looked like she had hit her head pretty badly. She performed a wantless 'episkey' and immediately felt much better.

"I think it's better if you don't move much yet," she turned around to see a girl who looked not much older than her - in her original age - entered the room and approached her. She never saw the girl before.

The girl must have seen Hermione's questioning look. "My name is Martha," she introduced herself. "I'm a nurse in training. I've been working here part time since earlier this year."

"I'm Hermione," she replied. Then she remembered what had happened that she ended up in infirmary. "What happened after I passed out?"

"Some children carried you here immediately while some others informed Mrs. Cole." answered Martha. "That Billy Stubbs boy had his going out permit revoked for until the rest of the vacation."

"And Tom? What about Tom Riddle?" she asked. If what Billy said were true he would be in deep trouble now.

"Ah, that boy," suddenly Martha's expression darkened. "He has this strange power, you know, and he has injured some children before. And that thing during the last outing…" she shuddered.

Hermione remembered the way Mrs. Cole looked at Tom when she mentioned last year's outing. "What happened in last outing?"

"Do you know Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop?" asked Martha.

Hermione nodded. Amy Benson was the girl who showed her around on her first day here. Dennis Bishop was a rather short boy with glasses whom she sometimes met and exchanged greetings at the reading room.

"The two of them became strange after coming back from the trip. It's like they're really scared of something, but they won't say anything," she said. "And according to some children, on that day the two of them were following Tom Riddle into a cave, and when they came out they looked as pale as a ghost and they couldn't speak for several days as if they were traumatised by something. That boy must've done something to them."

Hermione's eyes widened with shock. _He was just a ten year old boy back then! Was he already that evil? And what, exactly, did the two children see there?_ But her thoughts were cut off with Martha's next words.

"He's dangerous, that Tom Riddle," her words were laced with fear and hatred "He should've been put away sooner."

"Put away? What do you mean?"

"To correctional facility. That's where bad kids like him belong," she said coldly.

"But... Billy was the bad one. He tried to kill the snake!" Hermione tried to reason.

"And Tom Riddle could have killed you!" she spat back.

"But it's my fault! I'm the one running towards him!"

"It would have been either you or Billy!" She lowered her tone after seeing Hermione's sad face. "Anyway, he had done it this time. There's nothing we can do now"

Everyone in Wool's Orphanage, Mrs. Cole, Martha, the children… they were isolating Tom and treating him as if he were a freak. And was even more frustrating because they actually had some logical reasons for their actions. Tom must have done something terrible to Amy and Dennis the year before, and Hermione was pessimistic that the damage could be undone. Moreover, deliberately or not, he did hurt some children in the past… and he had injured her today, too. If she hadn't moved fast the curse would have hit Billy instead, and the effect would have been worse. At least she could protect herself against his magic; Billy couldn't. She shuddered at the thought.

"Um… can I go back to my room now? I'm feeling better already," Hermione asked. She needed to see Tom now.

"No. Mrs. Cole said you were to stay here tonight," replied Martha. "I will be here too."

Hermione sighed. So she couldn't escape. She lied back down on her bed and stared at the white ceilings, her mind wandering. She thought of her own childhood. Even before Dumbledore came to her house, she had known she was different from other kids in her school. And she guessed the other kids had felt it too, and that could be the reason why they wouldn't play with her. Hermione wasn't the type to actively make friends either, so most of the time she spent her free time alone with her books, or with her parents. Harry was her first friend.

Her parents… despite not being magical, they were really supportive towards her. They had known that their only daughter was different but it didn't change their love for her. Hermione remembered when she was three she was upset because her pet cat died and she accidentally made the lightbulbs in her house exploded, injuring her father in the process. However, instead of being angry at her or punishing her for what she did, her father just held her close and calmed her down. Even after she started going to Hogwarts her parents tried their best to keep up with her on the topic of magic; they would owl her regularly to ask her about her studies, and they would accompany her to Diagon Alley to buy her school supplies.

But unfortunately, in general muggles were not that accepting towards wizards, as she came to know later on. Harry's childhood was a prime example of that. The Dursleys were his relatives, yet they treated him as if he were not a human. For years, Harry had been living in a small cupboard under the stairs, barely surviving. He was ordered around like a slave and bullied by Dudley and his friends. Harry must have suffered a lot during all those years. He was indeed a very strong boy; Hermione would have broken down and gone crazy had she had been subjected to same treatments as him.

And now… there was Tom. He had no family; at least, none that he knew of at this point. He had been living at this orphanage his whole life. If even relatives could treat a wizard like what the Dursleys had done, she couldn't imagine how badly complete strangers could treat a wizard. But she saw glimpses of it in this orphanage. Everyone saw Tom as a freak; an evil, dangerous boy who needed to be locked up somewhere far away. He might have some evil tendencies already, but he was still a boy, a human. He needed love and care, not isolation. Seeing how he had been treated here, she could see why he developed a fervent hatred towards muggles. But she had to stop this hatred; she had come to this era for that. But first she needed to save a certain boy from his impending doom.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's been a few days since my last update. I spent some time working on the general plot, doing some research on some characters and historical events. Plus new semester started this Monday so I may update less frequently from now on.

Thanks to my reviewers:

jfang465: I'm glad that you like the scene! I can imagine little Tom holding the book even in his sleep :3

WhisperOfTheHeart925: Thanks thanks thanks a lot! I try to avoid OOCness as much as possible, and I'm glad you like my portrayal of the characters. I don't like killing off Harry or Ron either, it's sad enough having to part with them :(

Iadida: Thank you for pointing out my mistakes! I re-read first few chapters and as you have pointed out, there were a lot of grammatical mistakes that I could have avoided. I'll rewrite them as soon as I have the time. As for beta reader, I have sent beta requests and I hope to get a reply from them soon.

almighty swot: Thanks!

MaiWishes: Don't worry, the romance won't come until Tom gets older. Plus neither Hermione nor Tom is romantic so it's more logical to have them as friends first. Thanks a lot and keep reading :)

Smithback: Thanks!


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